Officials: Power Will Be Out At Least 7-10 Days

Power is out for more than 5,000 households and businesses in Manasquan and Belmar, and it's not coming back for more than a week, officials said. 

Manasquan Borough Administrator Joe DeIorio said that when he last spoke with JCP&L officials, the timetable was seven to 10 days once the substations were restored, a process that could tack on even more time. 

Crews must first ensure the lines connecting to each substation are safe, and not in water or stuck in branches, DeIorio said.

JCP&L can't even dispatch personnel to fix broken and downed poles until the substations are secured, he said. 

Borough water rescue teams, which worked through the night, were still pulling residents from their homes at 2 p.m., DeIorio said. Some refused to leave. 

"We had boats all over the place -- on people's docks, on people's lawns," DeIorio said.

Fortunately no serious injuries were reported, but the rescue teams did bring several disabled and elderly residents to safety, he said. 

In some homes, residents were helped out of houses in six feet of water, he said.

"We had quite a bit of activity," DeIorio said.

And while much of the flooding was subsiding due to low tide, First and Second Avenue were completely covered in sand, DeIorio said.

"It looks like another beach," he said.  

And the damage, DeIorio said, was incredible. 

Several businesses and homes along the beachfront were destroyed, he said. 

Officials however are still rescuing residents and assessing the extent of the destruction. 

It's uch of the same in Belmar, where its water rescue team could be seen still making trips into flooded parts of town. 

Massive flooding exists on most roads east of Main Street, with few dry paths to Ocean Avenue from downtown. 

The storm also ravaged the boardwalk, which is completely destroyed and displaced. Ocean Avenue is covered in sand, extending the width of the beach.

Countless sightseers were snapping photos and gazing in awe of the surreal state of the storm's aftermath. 

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Manasquan has set up a local disaster recovery hotline for residents to call 732-223-0544, ext. 239. Someone is also on staff at Borough Hall for anyone without use of a phone.